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Learn How I Trained To Run A Mile In 6 Minutes

Curt Nelson — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:03:30 +0000

Let me first start out by saying I’m not a runner. Nor do I want to be a long distance runner. I can’t stand running long distances! But I wanted to do this experiment to see how hard and how long it would take to run a 6 minute mile.

For a non-runner this is pretty hard. For long distance runners this is fairly easy. Let me also state that I’m an athletic guy and active at 6′ and 170 lbs.

My training before I started this experiment were short sprints no more than 200 meters, mountain biking (10-50 miles), hill sprints, hill climbs, and strength training in the gym 1-2 days a week.

My Typical Training For Running A Mile in 6 Minutes

Let me point out that I always didn’t get 3 workouts a week in. 80% of the time I got 3 in, other weeks just 2. When I did miss a workout it was because I was sore from strength training.

I didn’t really alter my workouts much for this 6 minute mile goal. All I did was change up my conditioning to go longer lengths.

If your serious about running a mile in 6 minutes and haven’t been doing much training you may want to start with 2 workout days a week since you will be sore from strength training. Do one conditioning day and one strength training day with two days rest between workouts each week focusing on legs and your core for 1st month. Then you may want to progress to 3 workouts a week on the second month.

Always do a dynamic warm up. Not static stretching! Do static stretching after your done running.

Monday – Strength and Power Training – go with heavier weights and allow yourself to rest 3 or more minutes between sets. Focus on what I did below.

Wednesday - just start doing sprints and run as fast as you can. Lets say you can only sprint 100 meters full out, start with that and work your way up to 200 meters, 300 meters and 400 meters. You can mix it up however you want.

Example: run 100 meters as fast as you can then walk or jog the same distance. You can do all 200 meter runs, or mix it up start with 4 100 meter runs, then 4 200 meter runs, 2 300 meter and 1 400 meter run. You can also place a 24″ or 30″ plyometric box on the track, do 15 two-footed jumps and then go sprint for 4oo meters 4 times. You’ll see what I did in my workouts.

Friday – do a Cross Fit Training program. This is basically interval training with weights or bodyweight exercises. For more info go to Crossfit.com

Heres What I Did

Mondays – strength day, always consisted of leg and core workouts. Squats, dead lifts, pistols (one-legged squats), Step Ups with 40 lbs and up, lunges, sled machine, Plyometric Jumps 30″ and higher, wood chops, windshield wipers, ab roller, planks, side planks.

Wednesdays – you can see as my training continued I started doing longer and longer sprints.

Fridays – strength day, I actually did upper body and sometimes crossfit, upper body exercises aren’t what you’d want to do if your specifically training to run a fast mile.

So lets get to the results!

This experiment started on June 2nd 2010.

My first mile I ran in 7:55

I just went to the track and ran 4 laps to see where I was at.

Here are my split lap times – 1:45, 3:51, 5:58, 7:55

Heres time of each lap

1st Lap – 1:45
2nd – 2:06
3rd – 2:07
4th – 1:57

Conditioning Training I Did during 3 weeks:

1st Week – Did 6 100 meter sprints and 3 200 meter sprints
2nd Week – Did same as above but each time I came around the track I did 15 jumps 24 inches high 6 times
3rd Week – did 8 100 meter sprints and 4 200 meter sprints

My second mile I ran 4 weeks later on June 30th 2010

Split times – 1:27, 3:15, 5:25, 7:29

Time of each lap

1st Lap – 1:27
2nd – 1:48
3rd – 2:10
4th – 2:04

Conditioning Training I Did during 3 weeks:

1st Week – 8 100 meter sprints, 4 200 meter, 2 400 meter
2nd Week – mountain biking 60 mile ride
3rd Week – hill climb with steep incline

My third mile I ran on July 28th 2010

Split times – 1:34, 3:14, 5:14, ??? (*6:54)

Time of each lap

1st Lap – 1:34
2nd – 1:39
3rd – 2:00
4th – 1:41 – ??? – * rested little over 1 minute on 3rd lap so didn’t count

Conditioning Training I Did during 3 weeks:

1st Week – 2 mountain bike 20 miles and 40 miles
2nd Week – 4, 400 meter sprints trying to avg. 1:30 or below
3rd Week – 2 400 meter sprints trying to avg. 1:20 or below and 2 200 meter sprints 40 seconds each

By my third month I was really close to running a mile in 7 minutes just missing it by 5-10 seconds had I not rested on my 3rd lap. A 7 minute mile is within reach for a lot of people, its not extremely hard to do. Depending on your fitness level you can reach this in 1-3 months. The six minute mile is more of a stretch if want a real challenge. As of right now in the 4th month of this testing I’m still trying to reach the 6 minute mile. I believe I will hit a 6 minute mile by October, taking me 6 months to accomplish.

My 4th Month Results for My August Timed Run Will Be Posted Around the 25th.

A Common Theme

There seems to be this common theme that pops up every time you try to do something new that your unfamiliar with.

Your Not aware of what it will take to accomplish X task. The new thing interests you so you want to learn more about it. As you learn more, you learn what is required in order to accomplish X task.

Usually for most people once they learn what they have to do to accomplish the task or goal, they realize ohh, this is what I have to do. You’ll either try to stick it out for a week or so until something gets hard or just give up all together.

If you do proceed into the task further and go 1 week, then 2 and 3 and 4 you realize that the task your working on is either getting easier or needs refining which would lead to whatever your doing becoming easier.

Tips for Running A Mile in 6 or 7 Minutes

Don’t try to go all out on your first lap. You need to know what it feels like to run a lap at 1:30. Once you know how that feels you can start to keep a better pace.

Don’t drink any energy drinks with carbonation right before running. Let your food digest for at least 2 hours before going on your run.

You may get tired of the “routine” running at the track. So mix up your conditioning training. Do sprints on a football field, sprints up a hill in a park or on a hiking trail. Find other places that will give you a good workout.

Good runners have good posture. Don’t hunch over if you are getting tired. Hunching over limits your air intake.

PUSH yourself. Your body and legs can go a lot faster than you think. Remember that there are several “winds” you can experience when running. Once you get past each wind you almost feel refreshed and can keep running more! I don’t know how many times after the second lap I wanted to stop but I kept going…

Make sure you are hydrated before you run but not over hydrated. (for obvious reasons)

The Psychology of trying to do this may not make sense to your brain and putting you WAAAYYYY out of your comfort zone. If your use to being really lazy your mind is going to try its hardest to NOT let you do this.

The Inevitable Question I Might Get

Do you still run or can you still run a mile in 6 minutes…?

I will continue to do my once a week conditioning ritual of either mountain biking, sprints, or hill sprints, along with my strength training.

When I run on the track I don’t think I will ever need to run a longer sprint than 400 meters.

My goal will always be to run a 7 minute mile into my 50’s. Since I don’t really like running long distances (more than 2 miles) and don’t want a runners body I will just continue to do my sprints, instead of slow boring long distance running. Running longer distances I don’t believe is all the healthy for a person. So from having a better looking body and better health I’ll continue to do my sprints instead of running 5 miles or 10 miles in a training session.

Is Your Fitness Training Plan Flawed…?

Curt Nelson — Sun, 23 May 2010 16:53:06 +0000

There are many areas of fitness to focus on. If you just focus on one area of fitness, your fitness training plan is FLAWED.

Heres how you know if your on the right track. When you go to the gym and other people ask you what the heck your doing, then you know your fitness training plan is headed down the right path.

Are you a body builder type who doesn’t work on conditioning, and functional flexibility & mobility…?

Are you a runner that just focuses on running and forgets endurance strength, power and mobility…?

Are you a triathlete who just swims, runs, rides bike but don’t do anything for functional flexibility or mobility, core stability, strength, or power training…?

Do you do Yoga and Pilates but skip any strength, power, and conditioning workouts…?

To have a complete well rounded fitness plan that focuses on “whole fitness” or holistic fitness you have to incorporate 6 main areas of fitness.

Functional Flexibility and Mobility
Core Strength and Stability
Strength
Short & Long Range Power
Interval Training – Anaerobic vs. Aerobic
Speed
Proper Recovery & Nutrition

Old Way Of Working Out - 50% free weights, 50% machines. Do 4 sets of 12,10,8 and rest 2-3 minutes between each set. Workout 3-5 days all in the gym. Each day you work a specific body part like chest and back or just legs. If this is your fitness plan your wasting your time if you actually want to have a high level of fitness. Following this plan makes you one dimensional or a one-trick pony.

New Way Of Working Out - 95% time spend on free weights, 5% machines. Your sets and reps vary all the time. Depending on which workout your doing you may not even rest at end of your sets, especially if your doing Crossfit. If its a strength or power day you may allow more rest between each lift. You may only need 1-2 days in an actual gym and a couple workouts out of the gym. Instead of working specific body parts your working a combination of the 5 categories above. Your targeting your whole body not just body parts.

We want to be generalists in our fitness not specialists.

Outside Magazine gives you some simple tests to see where you are at for each of the 5 main categories above and remedial training if you can’t currently pass each individual performance test.

If your not able to do the basic movements provided in the performance test for each area, add the remedial training exercises into your current fitness training plan.

1. Functional Flexibility

If your tight in the hips or shoulders you should work more on your functional flexibility and core stability before getting really serious about strength training.

Functional Flexibility is your ability to move completely through the range of motion required for a sport or activity.

Any number of factors like, age, jobs where you sit a lot, or watching too much TV make muscles chronically tight, limiting your full power and strength potential and increasing your risk of injury.

Flexibility shouldn’t be an afterthought. It should be one of the most important things you focus on.

Most functional flexibility tests gauge flexibility in your core, which are where the most problems are.

2. CORE Strength and Stability

Doing core exercises aren’t just about making your six pack better. What everyone should be after is core stability, which is achieved when your entire core, from lower back to upper legs is equally strong.

Having a stable core will give you maximum control of your body, make you less likely to get injured and provide you with greater performance and power and strength in all types of sports and activities.

Everyone of your workouts should have at least two of the major Core Stability exercises.

These would include:

Side Planks, Forearm Planks and Pushup planks
Inchworms
Renegade Man Makers
Wood Chops
Windshield Wipers

3. Explosive Power & Long Range Power

Power is simply energy production, whether its over a short period (sprints, power lifting) or a long period (1-4 hr. mountain biking ride).

Explosive power is usually in the 1-3 rep range with 85% – 100% max weight.

Typical explosive power training workouts are done with a variety of these main compound exercises:

Squats
Cleans
Deadlifts
Bench Press

Keep in mind these are also strength exercises but what makes them a power or strength exercise are the reps, rest between each set and the weight used.

Long Range Power Exercises:

Plyometrics in the 10-20 rep range
Running Intervals
Cycling Intervals

If your a tri-athlete, mountain biker or adventure racer your long range power is crucial to your sports.

4. Strength & Strength Endurance

Strength would be considered doing an exercise for 4-6 reps with 75% – 85% of max weight. Strength Endurance is the ability to do a lift for 8-15 reps or more with 65% of your max weight.

Doing exercises to increase your strength will increase your muscle mass, and keep you burning calories all day long with your increased metabolism. To increase your strength and power you should be doing these types of workouts below.

Bodyweight Workouts
Strong Man Training
Kettlebell Training
Free Weight Power Lifting Exercises
Ring Training
Sandbag Training
Gymnastics Training
Crossfit Training

5. Interval Training – Anaerobic vs. Aerobic

Long boring aerobic exercise doesn’t make much sense unless you just want to run marathons and have a skinny little body with no muscle…

Efforts at moderate to high power and lasting less than several minutes are anaerobic. Efforts at low power and lasting in excess of several minutes are aerobic. The 100, 200, 400 and 800 Meter Sprints are mostly anaerobic.

Events like 1,500, the mile, 2,000, and 3,000 meters are mostly aerobic. Aerobic exercise shows decreases in muscle mass, strength, speed and power. Aerobic activity also has a pronounced tendency to decrease anaerobic capacity.

Anaerobic exercise is more superior to aerobic exercise for fat loss and also has benefits of cardiovascular function. It also allows you to improve power, speed, strength, and muscle mass. So why would anyone even consider doing anything aerobically…?

You will use anaerobic efforts to develop aerobic condition through “interval training”. With interval training we get all the cardiovascular benefit of endurance work without the loss of strength, speed and power.

6. Speed & Quickness

Speed is the ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement. In this article we’ll refer to this as being able to do your workouts faster and get them finished quicker while still being safe. Speed increases with time as you get better in the 5 main areas of fitness. If you only focus on 1-2 aspects of fitness your speed will be affected.

You can also do specific drills to increase your speed but most people don’t need to focus on this. You can, but it would mainly be for professional athletes who would have a distinct disadvantage if they didn’t practice certain speed drills.

7. Recovery & Nutrition

Much of your training will go to waste if you’re not devoting equal time and effort to your recovery. The physiological gains from exercise take place while you’re at rest. Blood flow into damaged muscles and joints, capillaries expand for improved oxygen delivery, and tissues prepare for the next assault.

After a workout is the perfect time for foods that are high in the glycemic index. Eating foods that have a high GI replenish your glycogen stores. This is really the only time to eat high GI foods.

If you have questions about the 6 main areas of fitness please submit your question below in the comments box.